Sayonara
by niravive
Summary: There's a curse on this village. One that kills houshis and their companions in a week. Miroku stumbles upon this village, along with Sango and Kirara. Will they survive the week? MS, a little IYK
1. bad houshisama, bad! no biscuit for you

AN- A different version of the Sango and Miroku story for me. I actually kinda like this.  
  
Disclaimer- Nope, I do not own this. Siht nwo ton od I.  
  
  
  
Sango looked resolutely into the sunset as she walked away from their camp. That monk had played with her heart for the last time. She was leaving, and not coming back. She stopped at the top of the tall hill, loose hair fluttering off to the side as she adjusted her casual clothes in her bag and Hiraikotsu in her other hand.  
  
Kirara was perched on her right shoulder, mewing quizzically, and looking back at the monk, clearly asking, "What's going on?"  
  
Sango reached up with the hand holding the bag to stoke Kirara comfortingly. "Let's go," she whispered, walking the rest of the way over the hill and disappearing into the bright light, heart aching as she once more lost something completely dear to her heart.  
  
A solitary tear marked the place she left. The words, "Sayonara, houshi- sama." floated on the breeze.  
  
*~*  
  
Miroku dashed after the taiji-ya, shouting. "Matte! Sango! I can explain!" He reached out to grab her arm.  
  
"Just like you explain everything else? As a cover for your lechery? I've had enough. I'll achieve my vengeance on my own." She looked down at his right hand holding her arm. "Let go, houshi-sama," she said with deadly calm.  
  
Miroku reluctantly released her arm, taking a step back as if her words had been a tangible blow. He bowed his head. "Gomen nasai, taiji-ya-sama." He turned to walk back to their camp, shoulders sagging, face carefully blank.  
  
Sango turned her back on him, walking quickly away, her anger propelling her faster than she would normally go.  
  
*~*  
  
Miroku sat, back against the tree, staff leaning against the tree, instinctively sitting in his comfort position, staring at something Kagome had given them all. She called it a photograph. It showed their screwed up, but trusting "family"- Inuyasha looking slightly panicked as he zoomed towards the ground from his perch in the tree, Shippou posing cutely with a lollipop, Sango smiling demurely with her hand in a fist to ward off him, with his hand extended towards her derriere, and Kirara leaning against Shippou. Kagome wasn't in the photo, after all, someone had to take the picture.  
  
He couldn't believe how royally he had screwed up.  
  
"Please, Sango, tell me how to fix this- us." he whispered to the sky.  
  
*~*  
  
Inuyasha leaned against the tree he was sitting in, thinking quietly about nothing in particular. At least, he wasn't until he heard Miroku whisper to himself. That's when he knew not to buy that crap he had told Inuyasha about what Sango was doing.  
  
He silently jumped down from the tree, careful not to wake either the kitsune or Kagome. He yanked Miroku to his feet and hauled him a little further away, hand covering the monk's mouth to keep him silent.  
  
"Okay, bouzo, what the hell happened between you and Sango?" he demanded rudely.  
  
"Nothing that's important to you," Miroku responded through the light rain that had begun to fall. "A little misunderstanding."  
  
Inuyasha looked incredulous. "You think that one of our group disappearing without saying goodbye isn't any of my damn business? I've called you many things, but I think I gotta hand it to you- you are one helluva bakayarou." He looked scathingly at the monk. "You ever stop to think about how Kagome'll feel about this? Those two were best friends. You ever stop and think about how much harder fights'll be? You are one selfish bastard." Inuyasha walked away before he could slam Miroku's face into a tree. He knew Kagome would sit him a few too many times for comfort if he did that.  
  
Miroku slid to the ground, ignoring the rain that was falling steadily heavier, and his shoulders began to shake. He wondered what Sango was doing at that moment.  
  
*~*  
  
At that moment, Sango was walking through the forest the opposite way, heading towards a nearby town, Miroku on her mind.  
  
*~*  
  
That night, when Miroku managed to doze off, it was a fitful sleep, aware of everything, and tortured by his thoughts. He was the cause of this. As Inuyasha had told him, he really was a selfish bastard. He had always wanted more, reaching, pushing the limits, and the limits had finally shattered and had lost him a precious gift. The possible gift of Sango's love.  
  
Pictures of Sango danced in front of his eyes in all of her moods- when she was pissed at him for groping her or asking his question to another woman, when she was embarrassed at something she had just said, when she was depressed after seeing Kohaku, calm or happy when she was alone or with Kirara, and her fierce spirit when she was battling someone.  
  
But the image of Sango that stayed with him the longest was the one that he had seen most recently. Her staring at him with hurt and anger burning in her eyes.  
  
*~*  
  
Sango lay on the futon in the inn, sleeping fitfully. She wasn't particularly angry anymore. Simply hurt. She needed space to sort out her feelings. She didn't want to confess why she was hurt. After all, just look at everyone else she had gotten close to- either dead, or dead and being controlled by Naraku. Not exactly a good track record.  
  
She didn't want to confess that she-  
  
No, it hurt too much to say.  
  
And until that houshi apologized, she wouldn't speak with him again. She realized that the group needed her as a fighter, and traveling with the others would mean she could get her revenge on Naraku much faster and more easily than on her own. Not that she particularly cared about how long it took. She would succeed, and Naraku would fall.  
  
She knew where the others were heading, and planned.  
  
*~*  
  
Miroku resolved to find Sango and straighten things out as soon as he could. That meant leaving now. She had a few hours head start on him, and she was a trained fighter propelled by anger. With her, that meant speed. She had probably covered her trail as well.  
  
He silently rose and folded his blanket, leaving it next to Kagome as explanation, and went off into the forest.  
  
For once, Inuyasha used tact, and didn't pursue the matter.  
  
*~* 


	2. miasma

*~*  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own. Darn.  
  
AN: Now for something unexpected. Bon reading! ^_^  
  
*~*  
  
Sango rose early the next morning, headed back in the general direction she had come from, but slightly to one side, as to intercept the others. She was on Kirara, running along the ground.  
  
Too late, she saw the wall of poison gas in front of them.  
  
She tried to stop Kirara, but the demon-kitty understood too late, and abruptly they were in the center of it.  
  
Kirara stumbled and transformed to her little version.  
  
Sango dropped to her knees, clutching her head. The pain quickly passed, and she looked up and around, feeling that something was missing, and drew her sword.  
  
"Where the heck am I?" she asked confusion plain on her face.  
  
*~*  
  
Miroku was retracing his footsteps, senses running double time as the sense of danger increased. He stopped as he saw a pool of mist rising up in front of him. It didn't feel right.  
  
A glimpse of movement caught his eye, and he squinted to see inside to the center. It looked like a woman.  
  
Wait. Miroku strained his eyes further, and saw a bit of a familiar yukata. That was enough to decide him.  
  
He formed a barrier bubble of his houki, and waded into it.  
  
*~*  
  
"Sango, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
The girl jumped and spun around, nearly decapitating him with her sword. "Who are you?" she demanded.  
  
"I'm Miroku. You know, the houshi you travel with?" He looked really confused about this change in the taiji-ya, but decided to leave out the bit about his wandering hands.  
  
"I don't know who you are, but leave. Now." She raised the pointy sword to his throat threateningly.  
  
Miroku quickly raised his hands in the symbol of peace, and stepped backwards. "Come out of this fog," he suggested. "You wouldn't be able to see your enemies properly in it."  
  
She glared at him, demanding with her eyes why should she trust him, and warily followed him.  
  
"Houshi-sama," she called, pausing to ask herself why she had called him that. Of course, it was only polite, but it had felt too natural for someone she had just met. She shook off the feeling for being absurd. She had never seen him before in her life! "Where are we going?"  
  
"Sango, what happened?" he asked her when they got out of the mist.  
  
"Who's Sango?" she asked, pausing for a moment afterward. It did seem to ring a bell. "Who's Kagome. -chan?" she asked, hesitantly adding the -chan.  
  
Miroku turned to look past her. "What was that fog?" he asked the air. She turned around and looked for the mist. It was gone.  
  
"You're Sango," he added. "Do you remember anything?" he asked, ducking around her question.  
  
She shook her head. "Not much. I remember fighting. Lots of fighting. There's someone. he hurt someone close to me."  
  
Miroku nodded. 'Kohaku,' he thought grimly.  
  
".they have something in their palm." Sango said, holding her right hand in her left and rubbing it contemplatively.  
  
Miroku jumped in surprise. 'Definitely not Kohaku.' he thought, pulling his hand up in his sleeve.  
  
"I remember someone in a short skirt. Rides on a metal contraption." Sango rubbed her forehead. It was beginning to throb.  
  
Miroku noticed this, and cut short her description of what she could remember with, "Why don't you come with me? My friends and aren't camped too far from here."  
  
Sango looked at him, leery. Something about him said that she could trust him, but her other instincts demanded reasons why.  
  
Hesitantly, she nodded. "I'll come with you until I can remember."  
  
AN- So, anyone enjoying this? Please tell me if you are. I'm really enjoying this story. I'm not sure if I'm getting anything right, so feedback helps that. *nodnodnod* ^.~ 


	3. a cursed curse

AN- So, I'm back with more. ^.~ I love this story. Still don't own it, sadly, otherwise these two would be together already, darn it. I can wait though. Oh look. It's been so long that in the Japanese manga they are… ^^* Note to all: I think the characterization has probably gone to heck in a handbasket, and I've lost my story notes, so I'm pulling this out of my bum now. And if you notice English-english words, and everything else is American, it's just because I've watched tooooooo much BBC-America. 

"Where are those idiots?" Inuyasha grumbled.

All the sudden, Miroku appeared at the edge of camp.

"Greetings, Inuyasha, Kagome-sama," he said. "This is Sango, and she will be traveling with us until she regains her memories."

Kagome shot him an odd look, but didn't say anything because his face said clearly, "I'll tell you later."

Instead she said, "There are rumors of shards in both the north and the west. Inuyasha managed to find out through a "discussion" which should be more difficult." Kagome rolled her eyes at doggy-git. "So, we should split up to get both of them as fast as we can. You two can take Kirara and investigate the one in the north, and Inuyasha and I will get the one in the west. We'll meet up here in a week or sooner," Kagome instructed.

"Very well, Kagome-sama," Miroku said. "But first, let us rest for the night."

*~*

On the road the next morning, Sango kept glancing at Kirara. Finally, she asked, "What _is_ that demon?"

"That's Kirara," Miroku said. "Her mistress never divulged what sort she is."

"Is she Kagome-sama's?"

Miroku shook her head. "She belonged to a powerful miko named Midoriko." Miroku failed to mention the fact that that had been a _very_ long time ago, but it was the truth. It was just leaving out the small detail that she was now Sango's.

"You used the past tense," Sango pointed out.

Miroku nodded. "Midoriko-san died."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Miroku smiled. "Never really knew her." He felt really rather bad about deceiving her this way, he figured that she had to regain her memories on her own to cause her less pain. He remembered her headache after trying to force the memories of the group.

They approached the town, looking around cautiously at the sparseness and noting the almost complete lack of people.

They heard a shrill whistle, and automatically readied their weapons. 

"Do you look for the curse?" a voice called.

"What curse would that be?" Miroku called carefully, keeping his hands visible. Next to him, Sango tensed, unconsciously shifting into a defensible position.

"The curse on any houshi who dares enter with a female companion," a voice rasped out from behind them.

The duo spun around, reflexively grabbing at weapons. Sango had her sword half drawn before realizing it was the town's shrine's miko and resheathing it quickly.

"Any…" Miroku started slowly, for once unable to slip on the suave mask in the face of danger. He exchanged a glance with Sango. She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. He nodded almost imperceptibly.

"A curse, you say? And what exactly are the perimeters of this curse?" she asked, noticing town members coming out of buildings.

"Any houshi traveling with a female companion, no matter how many others are with them, dies within the week they first step foot here. Then their souls refuse to ascend." The ancient miko (who's age would put Kaede to shame) started hobbling toward a building. "Well, come along. You've already set foot in here. You might as well have a seat before you die."

Miroku gulped, and for the first time in his life, fervently prayed that they would find a way out of this. Yes, he had a curse in the palm of his hand that was killing him, but that was nothing like hearing you would be dead in a week. . .

Sango felt an odd tingling down her spine. She carefully looked around, trying to pinpoint the oddity. She reached down to scoop Kirara up unconsciously.

"Madam, if I may ask, what happens to the houshi's companions?" Miroku asked, his calm veneer slipping into place.

"Never seen from again," she responded briskly.

Sango was beginning to get annoyed. Not only was she supposed to die, she still couldn't pinpoint what felt so _wrong_ about this little village.

As they were seated in front of the shrine it hit her.

There were no children. Anywhere.

AN- And there we have it. The beginning of a plot of sorts. ^.~ I'll update _much_ sooner now, 'kay? I have ideas again. ^_^v That's always a good thing. I'd estimate this at about nine more chapters this length, maybe/probably a little less. Anyway, the part with Kagome and Inuyasha was skimmed over, namely because it was just one big headache for Sango, and nothing happened.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And:

*some person* - I swear I will finish this. Eventually.

DarkRoseAngelScarlet- Don't hurt me, please

Nuage44- Here, more MiroSan loveliness for you. Just very, very late. ^^*

sango-chan- You and me both hope he'll help her get her memory back… But who knows? I don't and I'm the author…

sangotaijiya- I _will_ finish. Eventually. I swear. Before I choose a college, too.

dEeYaN- Um, yeah. I updated. ^^* Can you please remove the knife so I can breathe?

Singer Rialle- Thanks. I'm fond of that twist too.

kitsune-greenleaf- Thank you so much for the compliments. You'll make me think I can actually write. ^^

Po-chan- We? You have a split personality? Or the royal we? j/k ^_^

warriorGL- I'm glad you like it so much.

Anzu-chan- You signed in just for this? Wow. I'm impressed. I'm so happy you like it.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you made me actually continue this thing. I love it, but I got depressed when I lost that stupid notebook _and_ my laptop crashed. But I'm baaaack~!


	4. day I

AN: And everyone seems to have totally forgotten about Shippou… You'll notice he isn't mentioned. I don't think Sango has any memories concerning him at the moment… But, he'll hopefully pop up. One last note: The building they're in is next to the shrine with the peach tree in between. Just so you have a frame of reference for where everything is.

Sango glanced at Miroku, who was looking completely composed again. She didn't know how, but she knew that he had just put a mask up for their benefit. "Where are the children, Miko-sama?"

"There are none. It's none of your concern, taiji-ya-san."

The two travelers exchanged a look. "As you wish, Miko-sama," Miroku responded smoothly, covering the gap in conversation. Even with her memory gone, the two were better at non-verbal communication than most. "Is there an inn where we might rest for the night?"

The old woman gave them a hard look. "Follow me."

*~*

Miroku's hands were itching to do something, but he restrained himself from either indulging in his favorite behavior or flirting with the town's women. Of course, the second was made quite a bit easier seeing as the only women in the town were either married, over twenty-five, both, or Sango. He had silently vowed in camp that night that he wouldn't alienate Sango this time. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Sango, who was cleaning her sword absentmindedly, and slowly stood.

"Sango?" She looked up at him. Something about his tone of voice made her think something was wrong. "I'm going to take a walk around the village. Perhaps see if we can leave before the curse takes effect."

She nodded. "How do you know if there actually _is_ a curse, houshi-sama?"

Kirara glanced between the two humans lazily before curling up in a little ball in the dwindling sunlight.

". . . A feeling. Besides, look at this village. They have no reason to lie about a curse and then give us a free meal," Miroku said, staring out the window to the peach tree.

"It bothers me still, though," Sango replied. "How there are no children in sight," she clarified.

"If only we could get a message to Kagome and Inuyasha. . ." Miroku mused.

"The hanyou and the odd girl?" Sango asked. Miroku nodded absentmindedly. "If they come, according to the curse, they'll die too. Would you wish that upon your traveling companions?"

"There's always the possibility they'll die anyway, seeing as they're already my companions, though they aren't here. Wouldn't it be more desirable to have larger numbers here trying to figure out how to break the curse rather than be separated?" Miroku asked.

"It's a calculable risk," Sango shot back at the houshi leaning against the door frame. "And the odds aren't in favor that two more people possibly could make a large enough difference that it would be worth it. It would be like handing them a death sentence. And I've seen enough people die!"

Miroku stared at her. He couldn't decide if she realized what she had said, or if it was a slip, or if it was figurative.

She met his gaze squarely. "I remember enough fuzzy images from what must be my past that I know I've lost those near me. I may not remember details, but I remember that people have died at my hands."

Miroku closed his eyes slowly. Of all the things for her to have remembered, it had to be her sense of guilt over her village. "I'll go look at the village now." He turned and walked slowly out the door, attempting to slip up that mask. It had gotten so much harder to do lately. He wondered why.

*~*

"TAIJI-YA-SAMA!"

Sango's head whipped up, meeting the frightened gaze of one of the villagers. "Yes?"

"Your companion, he's collapsed. Outside the shrine. It's gotten him. . ." the villager whispered the last part.

"Take me to him," Sango ordered, rising swiftly and grabbing her sword and running out the door.

Sango skidded to a stop next to Miroku and knelt down, feeling for a heartbeat.

When she touched him, his lips started moving. She leaned forward, hair brushing his forehead as she attempted to hear what he was whispering over the milling people in the background.

"… _mine_ … never… _I will possess what belongs to me_… you can't have me… _forever_… for never…"

Sango sat back on her heels, regarding her attractive companion with a small degree of mostly hidden horror.

One of the larger men of the village helped her carry Miroku back to the room they had been loaned. He beat a hasty retreat once Miroku was on the ground, framed by the sunset shining around the tree.

She moved him to a more comfortable position. "Kirara," she said, speaking to the cat for the first time. "I don't know how much of me you understand, or even why you like me, but I need you to do me a favor. Don't let anyone _near_ houshi-sama until I get back. There's something I need to do."

She rose, stalking out of the small building to the front of the village.

She stood on one side of the boundary marking, and as the sun dipped below the mountains, she walked forward.

She bounced off what felt to be a rock wall. She drew her sword, and took a step back, prodding the area that the wall should have been. Her sword passed straight through, yet her hand met resistance just as solid as before.

"Obviously, we can't just leave. . ." she muttered to herself. 'I don't like this situation. Nothing feels right...'

Sango turned at a sound. She saw a young boy, about eleven, bouncing a white ball on the dirt path and regarding her levelly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

He just smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

That same mysterious smile.

"Where are the other children?" she asked, taking a step forward.

He smiled a little wider before turning to stare back toward the shrine.

"What's going on?" she asked desperately, reaching a hand out to him.

His smile faltered and he shrank away from her hand, dropping the ball, which rolled through Sango's foot.

Sango's eyes followed the ball, and when she looked back up, the boy was gone.

AN: *insert dramatic music* And so ends Day 1 of the curse. ^_\

Many thanks to reviewers (I read 'em all and love everyone who reviews):

sailorpsychosis ~ ending the chapters like that is fun, though. ^_~

Shadow Heart ~ See? I do update, and I'm glad you remembered to come back to this. ^^*

Kaylana ~ new chappie is up now! aren't we all happy? especially since I'm going to be working on the next one while this is being new on ff.net.

DarkRoseAngelScarlet ~ I know, I know, another forever and a day since I updated, but I was buried the past couple of days since remembering this. darn AP euro history…

And to those who read but didn't review, thanks for reading anyway. *waves* Tata. I'm off to work on Day II.


	5. day I part II

AN: _Italics_ = Sango's memories

Sango turned to look for the ball. There was no sign of it. A little creeped out, she turned to walk (albeit a little more quickly than most normally walk) back to where Miroku was.

She started running when she saw a crowd of villagers around the door.

She quickly elbowed her way to the front, rubbing the side of large Kirara's face (the kitty had been blocking the door with sheer mass as per Sango's request) as she slipped by. She slowed to a stop as she heard the houshi in the corner, muttering again, only in two voices.

She regarded him quizzically, leery of approaching the houshi. She turned back toward the villagers still held at bay by the large fire cat demon creature. "Everyone leave. This is under control. Hovering will help nothing."

She left the cat youkai to fend off the villagers (Kirara quite adequately filled the door frame), Sango walked quietly over to Miroku, who had quit muttering and was staring blankly up at the ceiling.

She tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention. Only her taiji-ya instincts allowed to deflect the blow, mostly.

"Houshi-sama! I mean you no harm," she said tersely to him.

"Sango…" he rasped out, sitting bolt upright, and pulling her into a tight embrace.

Sango gasped, eyes wide as she knelt there, completely unsure as to how to react to this.

She clenched her eyes shut as images flashed in front of her eyes, and she heard snippets from the past.

__

The houshi's arm, bleeding, as he prepares to free her from the youkai, despite the wounds.

Her, slicing his face after his arm. Even so, he protected her from the hardest enemy. Herself.

Him, smiling at her, "You sure are... scary as an enemy..."

"I'm very glad you're on our side."

Houshi-sama, always comforting her…

Taking time out, and cheering her up.

Wishing for her to have the best.

"Be happy…"

Sango's eyes snapped open, and she only had another small fragment, _"…special girl, to me…"_

She didn't notice Miroku's harsh breathing, or the fact he still hadn't let go.

The pair kind of sagged against each other, taking comfort from the strange embrace.

Kirara hadn't moved from the doorway, laying down across it and showing her impressive fangs to those who attempted to approach.

*~*

"There's a voice, a voice like candy. So sweet it almost hurts… It wants me. It keeps telling me to succumb."

"There's a chance that's the youkai behind this whole mess," Sango said. Something was tingling in the back of her mind. She pushed the memory away, not able to deal with anything else adding to her splitting headache.

"But it doesn't _feel_ like a youkai. It sounds… forced when it speaks, like it's gentle, but what it says isn't," Miroku said slowly.

"There _can_ be nice youkai, houshi-sama."

"Yes, but this doesn't feel like that."

"We can't leave, by the way. There's a barrier against us leaving."

"I figured as much. Do you know if Kirara can leave?"

"Why?" she asked. "We don't know what we're fighting. We can't pull Kagome-san and Inuyasha-san away from this Shikon shard they are looking for, for something like this. It's not worth it. We can handle it. Besides, if they enter, they might not be able to leave, like us."

"But Inuyasha packs a substantial amount of firepower," Miroku pointed out.

"Not with enough brains, necessarily, though," Sango shot back. "He kills first, asks questions if it occurs to him afterward."

Miroku raised his hands in a motion of defeat. "I cannot argue with a beautiful woman's point," he remarked with a sigh and a smile.

Sango smiled ruefully back at him, rolling her eyes. A vague hint of a memory…

__

"HENTAI!" *smack*

She decided to err on the side of caution, and scooted over a few feet as she shook her head against the bizarre feeling of the memories.

"Houshi-sama," she started.

He looked at her expectantly.

"I saw something peculiar today," she continued. "I think it was a ghost, but I don't know."

"What was it doing?"

"He was bouncing a ball. Outside of the miko's shrine. He looked like he wanted a playmate. And he seemed to be saying that the other children are in the shrine, but there was no one in there earlier aside from the miko and us."

"Truly. I felt no other presences," Miroku agreed.

"I was probable hallucinating," Sango said finally. She glanced out the window to the peach tree. "It's late; we should sleep."

Miroku nodded his fervent agreement, yawning so widely his jaw popped.

Sango giggled.

AN- Yeah, I know, I know, short. As usual. But the good news is that I finished the complete outline for this story, _and_ I'm almost finished with the side story outline. Of course, they almost got taken away during Psychology (gomen, Frasca-sensei!)… *whistles innocently* Remember: Review and get your questions answered ~ ! I figure that each day is going to get a chapter, which means that chapters will get longer, and that means, *counts on fingers quickly* that there should be seven or eight more chapters, depending on if I do an epilogue-ish thing or not. Then, there will be a side-story-type thing which hopefully won't be too long… *crosses fingers while cursing suddenly prolific muses* Yes, as soon as I post this, I'll continue typing Day II.

Replies:

sango_chan4: I'm attempting to update faster…. Blame AP Euro History… So much reading… But I now know where I'm going with this! Thanks for sticking it out.

Kyosnekozukigirl: Is your name from Fruits Basket? I like… Thanks for reading.

AND EVERYONE ELSE who might have "forgotten" to review, thanks for reading anyway, and I _do_ hope you enjoy it. I just wish you'd drop me a line….


	6. day II part I

Disclaimer: Still don't own, though I wish. I own the OCs, though. And the plot. But not _Inuyasha_. Definitely not mine.

*~*

Sango knelt at the perimeter of the village, holding Kirara close. "Can you find Kagome and Inuyasha?" she queried.

"Mow!" came the affirmative.

"Will you drag them to this village? I think houshi-sama and I shall need some back up," Sango said softly.

The fire-cat-creature youkai leapt out of Sango's arms, transforming and began to fly off. "Good luck, Kirara…" she whispered. She turned back to the center of the village. She didn't like the feeling of containment she had after finding they were enclosed in the village. It gave her goose bumps.

She looked toward the room where houshi-sama was still sleeping. She had had too much to do to sleep past dawn.

She walked down the street, greeting the different villagers she passed. None met her eye or returned her greeting.

"Tired of trying that approach yet, taiji-ya-san?" a voice asked from the shadows. Sango spun. "Greetings. My name is Naniko. I am the daughter of Kannagi. She's the miko you met yesterday. Have you eaten so far this morning?"

Sango blinked.

"Am I speaking too much?" Naniko asked, looking perturbed.

Sango shook her head. "No, no not at all." She laughed nervously. "I am Sango. Please, just Sango. And to answer your question, no I haven't eaten." Her stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl.

Naniko laughed. "Come along, my sister has a tendency to cook more than we could eat. I'm sure she has some for you. Has your companion risen? If not I can have 'Nee-chan save some for him."

"Do you always speak with the people under the curse while everyone else…" Sango trailed off, trying to figure out a way to tactfully finish her sentence.

"Ignores them? Yes, I found that for the most part, the curse victims are fascinating people."  


Sango was beginning to wonder if Naniko ever shut up.

*~*

[Miroku walked through a village; looking at it, it was almost identical to the one he and Sango were staying in, only livelier.

He saw three people, one obviously a miko, another a houshi, sitting in front of the shrine, the two teaching the third how to play go as a group of children played in front of the shrine with a white ball.

The houshi laughed silently, amused by what the miko had said, obviously ignoring the scowl as she moved a white piece. The third person looked up from the board, straight into Miroku's eyes, and smiled, a little half smirk, half grin. She turned back to the board, and Miroku shivered.

In the eerie silence, the only noise was the rustling of the peach tree's leaves next to the shrine.]

*~*

Still asleep, Miroku rolled over on his side, pulling his right hand up to cradle loosely next to his chest.

*~*

__

[The miko turned to look to where the third was looking. Turning back, Miroku saw her lips move, but heard no sound. The houshi glanced up as well, but only between the two women. Miroku tried to walk towards them, but found himself immobile.]

*~*

Outside, the sun beat down on the packed dirt of the path, and the peach tree swayed in the still air.

*~*

The old miko sat in front of the shrine, teaching a few of the villagers to play go. She was oblivious to the warm sun shining in her eyes. Her white pieces outnumbered the black.

*~*

Inside a house, Sango was helping Naniko and her sister to prepare a meal. She had been delegated the task of chopping based on her profession. If she was going to cut her fingers off, she'd have done it with her sword by this point. She and Miroku had agreed that she shouldn't broadcast her amnesia to the villagers.

So Sango was chopping vegetables, and listening to the sisters ramble.

"Do you think over dinner Mother will tell that story again?"

"No… She seems different, this time."

"But shouldn't they be allowed to know about it?"

"Naniko! Hush. Mother will tell them all they need to know. You stay quiet about things that don't concern you. You know very well that the curse won't be broken, so why bother discussing it?" her sister snapped.

Naniko meekly shushed.

Sango pretended to be more deeply involved in chopping vegetables than she actually was. "When did the curse arrive?" she asked finally.

"Years ago. No one remembers."

"They say it's been a part of this village since before the elder was born," Naniko piped up.

Sango made a noncommittal noise. "How many has it claimed?"

"Many," she replied. "Though… you two make only the third couple _we've_ been alive to see. Mother has a list of all of their names in the shrine."

Naniko's sister sniffed disapprovingly at the two younger girls gossiping, turning back to stirring the soup.

Naniko shot her sister a worried glance. She knew she was treading on thin ice.

Sango decided to change the subject. Quickly. "Why are there no children?" she asked.

"Bad luck," Naniko's sister injected quickly. "Bad harvests, miscarriages and a lack of good fortune." She squarely met Sango's gaze, refusing to be the first to look away.

Sango held her gaze for a few long moments before ducking her head. "I apologize for being too inquisitive."

She couldn't shake the feeling that the siblings were hiding something.

*~*

Later that afternoon, Sango was carrying a dish of food back to the inn's room she and Miroku were sharing when she saw the houshi flirting with the innkeeper's oldest daughter, a homely woman of twenty six. She growled, and pushed the food in his arms as she passed, ignoring his calling after her. She was fighting back a strong wave of memories she wasn't sure she wanted to see, and she collapsed onto a futon, staring up at the peach tree's branches.

Silently berating herself over her naïveté, she succumbed to the memories, closing her eyes, partly dreading and partly eagerly anticipating, and pillowing her head on her arms.

__

"HENTAI!" *smack*

"Would you please bear my child?"

Sango smiled wryly. His behavior was almost amusing in retrospect.

__

"After all this business with Naraku is over, would you stay with me?"

__

"Because you're a special girl to me."

__

His eyes, shut as he shared a kiss with the person putting them up for the night.

__

His eyes, panicking as she left.

Her, stomping away in anger, refusing to put up with it any longer.

__

Her, running away from the danger her own heart posed.

__

Him, groping her for the millionth time.

Sango turned these events over in her head, not wanting to accept he wasn't everything he had appeared that night she had met him in the clearing.

Sniffling softly, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

*~*

Miroku stopped outside the doorway, looking in. He was, if he was going to be truthful, a little scared of apologizing to her. She couldn't push him further away if he avoided her. But he looked in, and saw her lying on her back dejectedly.

"Sango, I-" he started.

"Leave it, houshi-sama," she stated flatly. "I don't want to hear it. Again." She got to her feet and glared at him. "I just remembered why I left in the first place."

She pushed by the stunned houshi, and went outside.

*~*

As the sun was falling beneath the horizon, Sango's anger had cooled enough (as had her skin) that she felt she could at least face the houshi.

"Why am I traveling with you?" she asked after a long period of silence. "I remember my village… and… Kohaku…" she said slowly.

Miroku sat back and began to recount the bare bones of the tale of how the four of them had begun to travel together to seek vengeance against Naraku. "I _am_ sorry, Sango. Flirting has been my method of gathering information for so long, it's more like my first nature than second by this point."

Sango nodded, glancing out the window. She stopped dead in her tracks, before jumping to her feet and running to the window.

"It's _him_!" she exclaimed.

AN- Couldn't resist leaving it on that note… So, yes, there will be a little more of Day II next chapter. Then it's onto Day III. Where Sango proves she _can_ be domestic. But anyhoo. Thank you to _everyone_ who has put up with me thus far. I have this entire story plotted out until the end. And btw, Shippou apparently does not exist. He's annoying.

Review responses:

Aamalie: You have to be the fastest e-mailer on the face of the planet… ^^ I'm amazed. Did I update soon enough for you? And I do hope my characterization's at least more consistent than JKR's is. 

Kyosnekozukigirl: HARU!! *squeals* 

rain angst: Is that a good great or a bad great or a I'm responding to see what you say great? ^^


	7. day II part II

Outside the window, stood the boy with the ball from earlier. He was sitting cross-legged under the branches of the peach tree, looking up at the trunk. He smiled as a gentle breeze ruffled his hair.

At Sango's exclamation, he looked over and met her gaze serenely, half smiling. He moved to stand on the other side of the tree, glowing like the almost full moon in the sky.

Miroku moved to stand behind Sango to look out over her head. "That boy… he's no human's ghost. At least, not completely…" he said softly, puzzled.

Sango was watching the boy with a rapt expression. "He looks like Kohaku…" she whispered.

Unnoticed behind her, Miroku dropped to his knees. _~ Thou art a houshi? ~_ the feather soft voice asked in his head. _~ Why dost thou cometh here? ~_ she asked with obvious distress in her voice. _~ She will kill you if you stay! ~_

Miroku was snapped out of it by Sango shaking his shoulder. "Houshi-sama!" she said. "The boy stepped into the tree and disappeared. What did you hear?"

"The voice is innocent. _She_ is who we need to discover," Miroku was breathing hard, trying to steady his hands. Sango was still holding his shoulders.

"We still have five days," she told him encouragingly. "We'll defeat this curse."


End file.
